HW/Weihrauch Breaking in a new HW97K

[bustachip]

It doesn't take much. The bend is imperceptible.

I hear what you are saying and I share your concern. I honestly don't think it takes much bend to make the POI move. I think the latch wouldn't even know it. But that's just a guess and I wouldn't be surprised if I was wrong.

I don't want to find out either.

 

[.20calguy]

Could have been the linkage. Thats what happens when theres slack in it.

Im still watching the wear on mine. Oil it every session. AOA has been great about repairs. Still a new cocking arm and pin is an easy fix. Peening the pin tight is the only trick.

Had some spring issues too. A kit will fix that. I'm still running a stock spring and seal. It shoots fine. A little springy. No big deal.

The rifle is a freaking hammer. I love it. Shotgun shells at 80 and little plastic outlaws at 50. Just one right after the other.

View attachment 488160

Yes
I also like Air Ventury Crazy Eights at 75y.

 

[.20calguy]

The 97K is a hard to beat spring piston rifle. I bought mine 2007 for $499 at Straight Shooters.
It's a Beeman model with Huntington Beach CA on the right side.
View attachment 488182
Over the years I've tuned mine several times with different combinations, and I've ended up with a 13fpe shooting 8.48 gr at around 835 fps and it's about where I like it at. It will shoot benched off of bags, or off of cross sticks, or propped up against a tree, it doesn't matter. It shoots JSB's well and some H&N's, but currently my pellet of choice is the QYS 8.48 gr. I would recommend you try some.
View attachment 488183
Mine will also shoot the 7.9 crosman premiers, but they are really snug loading. The QYS is the cleanest and best looking I've shot. It also doesn't turn your thumb black..lol. Smallest groups I've ever shot with my 97K, was with JSB 8.44 and QYS 8.48, but the current JSB 8.44 aren't as good in mine as they were years ago.

Here a target shot the other day at 40 yards rested on bags with QYS 8.48's and using a $125 Hawke 2-7X32 at 7power. The red dots are 1.0" diameter.
View attachment 488185
5-shot groups. The one shot thru the squirrel KZ is 4 shots, at about a 1/4 diam.
I've had my 97K set up with about 8 different scopes over the years, from "high dollar" scopes to the one I have now only $125, and they all worked great. I'm kinda digging this little light weight Hawke at less than a pound right now.
View attachment 488186
They are fun rifles to shoot and work on if you like to tinker, so don't be afraid to try different stuff. Some snug fitting delrin spring guides will remove the twang if it bothers you.

Fine rifle

 

[.20calguy]

That's good info. Thanks!

I figure the cocking linkage will work for years unless it gets loose. Then wears pretty fast. Like any other sliding surface. I think mine had some slack from the factory and just wore prematurely. It's doing great now but I keep an eye on it every time I cock it.

I've been bending barrels instead of zeroing scopes. I wouldn't try that with an underlever but it works dandy on a break barrel. No tapered mounts or inserts. Just clamp it in a vice and bend it. So I use the standard Burris 1" super low rings on that rail for my break barrel Hatsans.

Sportsmatch medium rings and a 3x9x40 Airmax on the HW97. It zeroed at 25 yards in 4 clicks windage and 10 elevation. So it didn't need a darn thing to zero it. I have never had issues with scope or slipping in 4-5k shots. So the combo works well and it's mighty close to optical center on this rifle.

The Airmax reticle is just too fine for hunting. And the eye relief is picky. It's a great scope but the regular Hawke Vantage scopes are better for me. I have the fixed 4x Vantage on my HW95 and a couple 3x9 variables for the Hatsans. I like the fixed 4x the best of them all. I think it cost $99.

You're right about centering. Here's a pic of my turrets zeroed for 75y. The arrow on the windage turret is the scopes optical center. It went right back to center after the warranty work, and having the scope zeroed on a different gun.

 

[.20calguy]

I've thought about it, but decided against bending the barrel. Mine shoots low and left quite
a bit at 30 yards from POA. So with those eccentric inserts I can correct that. It was strange my old 77K had the same affliction, and I used the same set up for that one also. If it were a break barrel I would try the barrel bending
method.

I modified my rings to allow moa adjustment.

Then I set the scopes optical center between my to backstops 30y and 75y. So now it takes an equal amount of up past center at 75y, as it does down past center for 30y. This is my effort to stay away from the internal scope stops, especially on a springer.

 

[Bedrock Bob]

I modified my rings to allow moa adjustment.
View attachment 488306

Then I set the scopes optical center between my to backstops 30y and 75y. So now it takes an equal amount of up past center at 75y, as it does down past center for 30y. This is my effort to stay away from the internal scope stops, especially on a springer.

That's a great job on those rings! I've never seen anything like that.

I did a set of cheap rings with resin as an experiment. I bedded a scope at an angle. It worked great. Held tight. Kinda the same idea as yours but uglier and not nearly as professional.

 

[.20calguy]

That's a great job on those rings! I've never seen anything like that.

I did a set of cheap rings with resin as an experiment. I bedded a scope at an angle. It worked great. Held tight. Kinda the same idea as yours but uglier and not nearly as professional.

I thought that those rings would work like that when I bought them, but ithey turned out to only be adjustable scope height rings. I cut the grooves down with wet paper to convert them.


It's pretty easy to add a pin if you like, but they don't really need it.
I had posted an article here called, Modifying West Hunter Rings, at the time.

 

[bzizzi373]

After mounting the Hawke 3-9 scope with two piece Sportmatch rings I was within 3/4" of the bullseye elevation and the windage was within 1" so not much adjustment was needed, got lucky with this setup.

 

[EquivalentDelta]

Picked up a blemished HW97K from Pyramid Air just over a month ago, stock had one small mark underneath and that was it, it looked brand new. I mounted a Hawke scope with 2pc Sportmatch mounts and sighted in at 35 yards. Tried several different pellets, one day gun would like JSB's and then the H&N FTT ammo then Crosman Premier 7.9's.
Was kind of all over the place first 500 rounds but still decent accuracy as gun was breaking in I got the occasional dieseling. Stock screws kept coming loose and were loose when I received gun from PA, the pin that holds the cocking lever latch in place kept backing out, and a little green lock tight took care of that.
I ended up removing stock and hardening wood around stock screws with some thin Mercury Adhesives CA and this solved the loose screw issue.
After about 1000 rounds I made a slight adjustment to trigger and it's right at a crisp one pound. I ran over chronograph and gun really settled in nicely and to my surprise likes Crosman Premier 7.9 gr the best, velocity is very consistant hovering right around 900 FPS, I also noticed long range accuracy at 75 yards is outstanding with the Premiers, these little pellets shoot a full mil dot flatter at this distance compared to the same weight JSB and the heavier H&N's. In past years the first thing I would do is tune any springer I purchased with a kit but the more I shoot this gun the smoother it gets with less and less spring twang. I really see no need to take this springer apart, just needed a few tins of ammo shot through it to break in. Just curious what gun will be like with say 5K rounds through it. I have several springers and quality PCP's but am really enjoying the 97 right now.
I placed a target out at 45 yards and resting off porch post standing up I placed ten shots that I could cover with a quarter with the Premiers, I was blown away when I approached the target and saw the group. These cheap Crosman Pellets from Walmart are awesome.

If your HW97 is anything like my HW77, it’s getting smoother because the factory spring is shedding coils regularly.

 

[Bedrock Bob]

If your HW97 is anything like my HW77, it’s getting smoother because the factory spring is shedding coils regularly.

Like a sheepdog.

It will stop when the spring feels it's short enough. Quit forcing your norms on a short spring in a long springs body. Just let the spring identify however it wants to.

Try to remember to use the proper pronoun when addressing it. Terms like "fu(&ing brittle crap" and "piece of $h!t" are inappropriate. Use the term "born too long" and "translengthened" to describe them.

And for heavens sake let them pee wherever they feel most comfortable. It's just a squirt man. Why make such a big deal about it?

 

[bustachip]

After mounting the Hawke 3-9 scope with two piece Sportmatch rings I was within 3/4" of the bullseye elevation and the windage was within 1" so not much adjustment was needed, got lucky with this setup.

You got lucky on that one.

 

[bzizzi373]

I have a R9 .20 that I purchased from Steve at Pomona Airguns 20 years ago, it's a Goldfinger that steve installed a Macarri spring and tuned on day one. This is the only reason I didn't buy the 97 in .20 cal. The R9 shoots H&N FTT just over 800 fps and accurately